200 on hand to celebrate Ishmael Trone's inauguration as Board Chair of Pasadena Chamber

Pasadena Chamber of Commerce members, community leaders and guests came together at the Langham Huntington Hotel Pasadena to celebrate the inauguration of Ishmael Trone as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Pasadena Chamber for 2016-17. Congresswoman Judy Chu and Pasadena Mayor Terry Tornek were on hand for the event that also featured the awarding of the annual Bill Bogaard Scholarship and the Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie LLP Scholarship to deserving students. The Inaugural Gala also included awarding 2016 Corporate Citizen of the Year Awards.

Ishmael Trone of F & M Business Center, Ideal Youth and Unyque Financial Realty will serve as volunteer Chair of the Board for 2016-17. In

installing Mr. Trone, outgoing Chair Thomas Daly of Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie remarked on the success of the previous year. “Financially, the Chamber is in the best position it has been in since the late 1970s. Membership continues to grow and we enjoy tremendous support from our member companies and their employees,” Mr. Daly said. “We are doing more for our members and our community and we moved into our own building. It is a modest commercial building on Mentor north of Colorado, but it is home.”

During his acceptance address, Mr. Trone reiterated Chamber priorities for the coming fiscal year. “The Chamber is supporting the education of young people in the PUSD by recruiting classroom speakers and advisory board members, arranging for field trips and job shadowing for students and finding internship opportunities for students and training those students to be contributing members of the host company’s workforce. When students have real experience in the workplace. When they understand what employers expect. When they know what qualifications are expected. When they see the possibilities the future can hold for them, these students work harder in school, they look for a future that includes college and they excel. What the Chamber is doing, with this partnership with Pasadena Unified, is giving students a glimpse at a future they want and can have, and providing the roadmap on how these students can get there.” Mr. Trone said. “We will also continue to press for significant opportunity for local business and employment of our citizens in development projects in Pasadena. The economic prosperity we see in downtown, the Rose Bowl and other areas needs to translate to jobs for local residents and a chance for local business to grow.”

The Chamber also installed new officers and Board members for the year. Joining the Board of Directors this year are Aida Dimejian of Century 21 Golden Realty, Catherine Farrell of Kaiser Permanente and Nathalia Morales-Evanks of the USC/Pacific Asia Museum. The Chamber Executive Committee will be made up of Thomas Daly, immediate past-chair, of Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie LLP, Chair-elect Robin McCarthy of Fire Family Foundation, Pacific Commerce Bank’s Valerie Prince as Secretary, Victor Griego of Diverse Strategies for Organizing as Treasurer and Committee Chairs Karl Bird of Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Michael D’Antuono of National Construction Alliance/IUOE Local 12, Salomon Davila of Pasadena City College, Joan De Souza of Joan’s Candles and Home Décor and Justin Tsui of Teamlogic IT of Pasadena. Ishmael Trone serves as Board chair and Paul Little remains as President and Chief Executive Officer.

The evening featured the presentation of the Bill Bogaard Scholarship to local emancipated foster youth Victor Pinzon Gonzalez. Mr. Gonzales graduated from Pasadena City College with an AA degree in social and behavioral science and will attend Cal State Dominguez Hills in the fall. Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie presented a scholarship to emancipated foster youth Evelyn Carina Rodriguez who will attend UC Santa Cruz in the fall. Law firm partners Ann Wang and Lauren Schneider presented the award with Mr. Daly. Both students were identified by Chamber-member Journey House, a local non-profit that supports emancipated foster youth as they ‘age-out’ of support.

The Pasadena Chamber also recognized two Corporate Citizen of the Year awardees at the Inaugural Gala. This year, the Chamber presented

Bolton & Company and the Pasadena Tournament of Roses with plaques recognizing their outstanding contribution to the local economy and businesses and the local community. “Bolton & Company is a tremendous contributor to our economy and employment base, as well as a strong supporter of local non-profits and families in need in our community,” Chamber President and CEO Paul Little said at the event. “I can’t think of another organization that has contributed to the success of Pasadena than the Pasadena Tournament of Roses. The parade and game have brought worldwide attention to our city for more than 125 years and the Tournament Foundation contributes hundreds of thousands of dollars to local non-pro0fits each year.” Congresswoman Chu and Mayor Tornek provided recognitions to the Corporate Citizens.

Chamber Board member John Leano of Bryan’s Cleaners was recognized for recruiting the most new Pasadena Chamber members during the previous fiscal year.

Guests at the Inaugural Gala enjoyed a hosted cocktail hour and silent auction with music by Art Deco Entertainment. Dance Syndicate provided dinner music as guests enjoyed a salad of Lemon cracked black pepper smoked Atlantic salmon with bacon slaw and baby herb salad. Dinner was a filet of beef and prawns with two color quinoa, baby fennel, garlic roasted baby carrots. Dessert was a caramel pear mousse with chocolate pear fudge cake. Wine for the evening came from Pasadena’s Old Oak Cellars.

Nicola Borland Photography memorialized the evening for the Chamber by taking photos of the event.

Gold Sponsors of the 2016 Inaugural Gala were Kaiser Permanente and Wells Fargo. Silver Sponsors are Hollywood Burbank Airport, Huntington Memorial Hospital, Parsons Corporation and the Pasadena Tournament of Roses.

The Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and Civic Association is a professional business organization. Since the earliest days of Pasadena, the Chamber has played a major role in the development of this internationally renowned city. Since 1888, when the organization was founded as the Board of Trade, the Chamber's primary purpose has been the enhancement of both the business climate and the quality of life in Pasadena. The Pasadena Chamber of Commerce serves 1500 members.